Turning the minus into plus

How to solve life problems using management techniques:

by Lionel Wijesiri

Janaki, who has been a senior advertising executive in a high-profile Ad Agency in the USA for the past ten years was in Colombo on a brief holiday. We were catching up on old times, when she related a brief but interesting life experience.

When Janaki was transferred to her firm's London office three years ago, her 14-year-old daughter, Ayanthi, was delighted. After a few weeks in an English school, though, the girl's enthusiasm turned to misery. Her classmates, she reported, disliked Americans. They mimicked her New York accent. Even the teachers, she felt, treated her like an alien.

At first, Janaki responded emotionally. "I thought of going to the school and demanding a stop to the "I debated persecution," she recalls. Sending Jane to another school, or giving her speech lessons so she'd sound more English. But then I stopped to consider how I'd handle this problem at the advertising agency, and the solution came to me. When you have a good product with an apparent drawback-an effective mouthwash, say, that tastes terrible-you don't try to conceal the liability. You exaggerate it, present it as something special -and the minus becomes a plus.

How did this principle apply to Ayanthi s problem? "Well," Janaki explained, "Here was an all-Americankid wearing Brattishdress and trying to blend in with the crowd. Naturally, it was no go. The way to interest those hostile English kids was to be as American as possible."

Ayanthi went back to her New York uniform-jeans skirt, denim jacket with rhinestone studs, a T-shirt with the picture of a rhino and THIS IS ME in six-inch letters. The other girls were fascinated.

Ayanthi has her own crowd now and the kids at school calls her "Yank" it is not taunt anymore.

Though most of us, in the course of living, develop a characteristic way of coping with difficulties, trial and error, careful analysis, few of us possess a repertoire of life -problem-saving techniques.

Yet a whole battery of such techniques -like the one Ayanthi's mother used - have been developed by management experts and psychologists for use in business (and ordinary life). If you become familiar with them, the next time you face a problem, whether at home or at work or in society, solution should be easier.

Steps

I really don't think there is one way to do it. And the ways you can use to solve a life problem depends on the problem. But I have found, in my long experience in management career, a few tips that have helped me solve workplace problems more easily. I found that adapting this procedure really helped me solve the life problems faster and with less struggle and pain.

I list below the steps or stages

(1) Problem Identification:

Identifying a problem can be a difficult task in itself. Ask yourself: is there a problem at all? What is the nature of the problem? Are there, in fact, numerous problems? How can the problem be best defined? By spending some time defining the problem you will not only understand it more clearly yourself but be able to communicate its nature to others, this leads to the second phase.

(2) Structuring the Problem:

Following on from problem identification, structuring the problem is all about gaining more information about the problem and increasing understanding. This phase is all about fact finding and analysis, building a more comprehensive picture of both your goal(s) and the barrier(s). This stage may not be necessary for very simple problems but is essential for problems of a more complex nature.

(3) Looking for Possible Solutions:

During this stage the goal is to generate as many possible solutions as you can. Do not worry about whether or not they are realistic, practical, or effective. Frequently a solution you might eliminate initially, with work can be developed into a very effective solution.

It can be very helpful to ask yourself what you have done in the past when faced with similar problems, and how other people you know have dealt with similar situations. In addition, you can also approach friends, family, a counsellor, teachers, books, or the internet, etc. to obtain ideas for solutions. Be sure to write down all the possibilities you generate so that you can approach this task systematically

(4) Making a Decision:

This is perhaps the most complex part of the problem solving process. Following on from the previous step it is now time to look at each potential solution and carefully analyse it. Some solutions may not be possible, due to other problems, like time constraints or budgets.

It is important at this stage to also consider what might happen if nothing was done to solve the problem - sometimes trying to solve a problem that leads to many more problems requires some very creative thinking and innovative ideas.

Finally, make a decision on which course of action to take - decision making is an important skill in itself and we recommend that you see our pages on

(5) Implementation:

Implementation means acting on the chosen solution. During implementation more problems may arise especially if identification or structuring of the original problem was not carried out fully.

(6) Monitor

The final stage of problem solving is concerned with checking that the process was successful. This can be achieved by monitoring and gaining feedback from people affected by any changes that occurred. It is good practice to keep a record of outcomes and any additional problems that occurred.

Challenge

Effective life -problem solving does take some time and attention more of attention than time. But less time and attention than is required by a problem not well solved. What it really takes is a willingness to slow down. Management gurus taught us that a problem is like a curve in the road. Take it right and you'll find yourself in good shape for the straightaway that follows. Take it too fast and you may end up in disaster.

Working through this process is not always a strictly linear exercise. You may have to cycle back to an earlier step. For example, if you're having trouble selecting an option, you may have to go back to thinking about the identification. The more difficult and important the problem, the more helpful and necessary it is to use a disciplined process